Aquatic Plastic Podcast #15

The final episode of the Aquatic Plastic Podcast series closes with a powerful message: protecting our waters is a shared responsibility, and young people have an essential role to play in shaping that future.

Growing up in Belgrade, Magdalena Živanović developed a strong connection to the Sava River, an experience that eventually led her to become involved in youth initiatives focusing on water and environmental issues. Today, she advocates for greater youth participation in water governance and believes that rivers and waters connect people across borders and generations.

Today, Magdalena is involved in several youth initiatives and serves on the board of the European Youth Parliament for Water, where she works to ensure that young people's perspectives are included in discussions about water management and environmental policy. She believes that rivers are much more than natural resources—they are places that connect communities, cultures and countries.

Her journey also crossed paths with the Aquatic Plastic project, where she participated in workshops and training activities focused on river protection and plastic pollution. These experiences reinforced her conviction that environmental action should start early and become part of everyday life. In Serbia, she is already sharing her experiences with younger generations by giving talks in schools and encouraging children to take an interest in rivers and environmental stewardship.

At a time when plastic pollution and water quality challenges increasingly transcend national borders, Magdalena's message is both simple and powerful: protecting rivers cannot be left to experts and decision-makers alone. It requires cooperation, education and the active involvement of local communities.

As she puts it, water truly connects us—and protecting it is a responsibility shared by all generations.

The episode also includes a special flashback to the River Saver workshop, featuring Robbie Dewar, Aws Alsughair and Preet Parekh. Coming from different countries and backgrounds, the three young participants share how the programme inspired them to become more engaged in environmental action and river protection. Their stories highlight one of the project's key messages: rivers connect people, and empowering young generations can create lasting change far beyond national borders.

Aquatic Plastic is brought to you by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union. Operating within the world's most international river basin, the Aquatic Plastic Danube-Region Interreg project unites 33 organizations spanning 10 countries. Together, we are executing 19 pilot actions and developing 8 solutions aimed at preventing, reducing, and managing plastic pollution in the natural waterways of the Danube River Basin. How do we navigate through such diverse borders? Explore further by delving into our report, and begin following our journey on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.